this point, and was in action when the Confederate John Washington fell. About this time Company C was joined by Company A, commanded by Captain Robinson, leaving Lieutenant Kirby to act as surgeon of what was now the First Squadron of First Ohio Cavalry, they being detached from their regiment throughout the war. It was during these engagements that Colonel Tyler's regiment of Ohio Infantry cut their way through Robert E. Lee's army and joined the main army. In this engagement the Union loss was nine killed, the Confederates leaving one hundred dead on the ground, and Colonel John Washington among them. A series of engagements followed in rapid succession, among which was the battle of Green Briar, where the First Squadron of First Ohio Cavalry was with and in advance of General Milroy's regiment of Indiana infantry, and engaged in the battle with them; Union loss eight killed and thirty wounded; the enemy was repulsed. Soon after an engagement took place at Camp Allgeheny near Green Briar, and on the 13th of December Colonel Milroy fought General Johnson, of Georgia; this battle was fought about eight miles from Green Briar battleground. On the 13th of February, 1862, the First Ohio Squadron was assigned to General Lander to act as his body guard, and was with him when he made his dash on Colonel Baldwin's forces at Washington Gap, called in history Blooming Gap. In this battle twenty-two commissioned officers of the rebel forces were captured. On March 2, 1862, the First Ohio Squadron stood in line all day waiting for General Lander. Orders had been issued to the army at Paw Paw to go to Winchester to engage General Jackson. The advance had reached Blooming Gap when General Lander died at five o'clock on the morning of the 3d of March; Companies A and C, of the First Ohio Squadron, acted as guard for the general's remains when they were delivered at Harper's Ferry into the hands of his wife and family. General James Shields now took command, and the squadron was assigned to him as special escort," and remained with him as long as he was in command. Captain Kirby was present when General Shields was wounded by the bursting of a shell, and took charge of his body when taken to the rear. General Tyler next took command, and on the 23d of March, 1862, Companies A and C, numbering one hundred and forty men, and commanded by Captains Robinson and Kirby, were ordered to make a charge on the enemy. Side by side they scaled the stone wall in front and passed through a long line of rebel infantry. In this charge the two companies captured two hundred and sixty-four prisoners, three ambulances, eight horses and seventy-five stand of arms, which were turned over to general account. For valiant and meritorious service at the battle of Winchester, the First Squadron of Ohio Cavalry was justly recognized at the time by the leading newspapers of the day as bearing an important arm to the Union service. Captain Robinson died a few days after the battle, leaving Captain Kirby in full command of the squadron, and also as acting surgeon. In the meantime General Shields had sufficiently recovered to again take command, and accompanied by his body-guard pursued "Stonewall" Jackson up the Shenandoah valley, calling a halt at Harrisonburgh to rest the troops. On June 8, 1862, the First Ohio Squadron, under General Shields,engaged in the battle of Port Republic, where Captain Kirby was wounded in the leg, and Captain Cole, of Shields's staff, was shot through the head while firing a bridge to prevent Jackson's army from crossing. Shot and shell were sent through the bridge by the enemy to prevent it from being destroyed, when a shell burst within the bridge and Captain Kirby's horse fell, and himself was stunned and wounded by the explosion. In this battle Company C lost seventeen men in killed, wounded and prisoners; the mon being disabled by cuts from bursting shells and the loss of blood, the company was relieved from General Shields and sent into camp at Alexandria, and their captain taken to Washington.in an ambulance. When General Pope took command of the Army of Virginia, the commander of Company Chad so far recovered from his injuries as to be again on duty. On July 10, 1862, he received orders to report to General Pope's headquarters at Warrentown, Virginia, to act as body-guard. The order was brought to him by Colonel Smith, of Pope's staff. On the 9th of August this diminished band of brave men defended Generals Pope, McDowell and Banks in a hand-to-hand saber engagement, losing nineteen men in killed, wounded and prisoners. General Banks was slightly wounded, and Colonel Ruggles's (chief of Pope's staff) horse was killed and Joseph Gaddes, of Company C, was shot in the head, his brains spat tering in the face of his captain. Some New York artillery, seeing the general and his escort retreating from the picket lines by moonlight, unlimbered their cannon and sent fifty shells whizzing over their heads before they could be stopped. At the battle of Bull Run this escort of First Ohio Cavalry was precipitated into a saber fight with "Stonewall" Jackson's body-guard, the enemy outnumbering them two to one. In this encounter one-half of the men of Company C were killed, and Captain Kirby's horse was killed under him; notwithstanding this slaughter Jackson's body-guard was driven from the field, leaving their dead and wounded on the ground. Captain Kirby with his worn-out company was next sent to Antietam, and participated in the battle under General McClellan, and was subsequently stationed at headquarters as dispatch carrier for the general while he remained in command. On November 4, 1862, General McClellan was relieved by General Halleck, and the First Ohio Squadron went into camp on Capitol Hill, Washington, D. C. Captain Kirby remained here for several months sick in camp, and, on the recommendation of Surgeon-General Barnes, resigned his commission and went home. On the 1st of August, 1863, having sufficiently recovered from his injuries, he accepted a commission as captain of Company E, Eleventh Michigan Cavalry, and again went to the front. In December, 1863, the Eleventh Michigan Cavalry passed through Toledo, Ohio, reaching Covington, Kentucky, on the 31st. At this point Company E was detailed to guard the train, not allowing it to start until orders were received from Colonel Simeon B. Brown, commanding regiment. The men stood on duty The men stood on duty all day in a drenching storm of snow and rain; at night they were relieved and sent to Camp Ella Bishop, Lexington, Kentucky, arriving there on that memorable "cold New Year's Day," January 1, 1864; that intensely cold night men were obliged to lie down on snow and ice, without fires and but few blankets. On January 28, 1864, Captain Kirby re- The re Company E, Eleventh Michigan Cavalry, turned to camp at Lexington, Kentucky, on the 5th of April, 1864, and on the 27th of the same month General Burbridge requested Captain Kirby to take command of a battalion of the Eleventh Michigan Cavalry and proceed to Western Kentucky in search of some train robbers. Lieutenant Stearns, of Adrian, Michigan, was among the volunteers to accompany this expedition. A march of ninety-six miles was made in thirty hours, and the robbers were caught the second night of their march, re turning to Lexington in time to join their regiment, who were about to give chase to John Morgan, then making his last raid through Kentucky. The Eleventh Michigan Cavalry started in hot pursuit, and the rebel chieftain was overtaken at Mount Sterling, Kentucky, about three o'clock in the morning. After a fight lasting four hours. John Morgan and his forces were completely routed. In this engagement Captain Kirby commanded the second battalion, consisting of eight companies, and while leading a charge through a wheatfield to dislodge some rebels on the opposite side under barricades, was wounded and reported to Colonel S. B. Brown (commanding brigade) as being killed, and word to that effect sent home to his family. The routed rebels were commanded by Colonel Cal Morgan and Basil Duke, who were closely pursued through Lexington, the Eleventh Michigan Cavalry being in the advance. On the morning of the 12th of May they came up with the combined forces at Cynthiana, commanded by John Morgan. Line of battle was formed at daylight, the Eleventh Cavalry being placed near the center. Major-General Burbridge gave orders to move forward; Major Smith, commanding the Eleventh, ordered a charge. Captain Kirby's battalion on the right and a column of platoons in front led the charge and went entirely through the enemy's line, which closed in behind them with the intention of capturing them; but Company E, of Monroe county, Michigan, with two hundred rounds of cartridges to a man, stood by their commander and in less time than it takes to write it one hundred and ninety-two rebels were killed and wounded. Captain Kirby captured General Morgan's adjutant, with Morgan's saddle-bags, portfolio, order-book and promotion from March 10th up to June 12th, and still has the folio in his possession. In this engagement Wm. Nadeau, of Company E, was wounded. The battle being over, Company E acted as body-guard to General Burbridge to Lexington, the Eleventh Cavalry following, and went into camp at Lexington, Kentucky. Captain Kirby being ranking officer was called upon to remount and uniform the regiment, there not being a field officer in the regiment; this duty was performed and on the 25th of June, by order of Major-General McClain, he was de tailed as provost marshal at Lexington, Kentucky, and continued to act in this capacity until the close of the following winter. The duties of a provost marshal were found to be a trial, and in many instances heartrending. Three military prisons were turned over to the provost marshal, besides a large amount of property taken with the prisoners. At this time the retaliation order of Abraham Lincoln was in force in Kentucky: That whenever a Union person was murdered by any dis-Union person two guerrillas were to be shot to death and buried on the Prison same ground. No. 3 was full of that kind of men, and the provost marshal was frequently ordered to turn. over to some officer from two to six per week for execution. On one occasion Company E, of the Eleventh Cavalry, was sent to Georgetown with two men for execution, one a murderer, the other an innocent looking boy of eighteen, who said he had never injured anyone, but was persuaded to go with them, and when sixtytwo men were ordered to fire, but one bullet hit the young man, while the body of the other was riddled with bullets. Captain Kirby was detained in the office of provost marshal much against his wishes, having made repeated applications to be relieved without effect. In January, 1865, finding himself prostrated with nervous fever, caused from wounds while in the United States service, and having contracted rheumatism from previous exposure in 1864, he drew up a resignation and tendered it in person to the commanding general, who accepted it on condition that he would remain until his successor was appointed and all military prisons, prisoners and property were turned over and accounted for, and a new guard and officers fully acquainted with their duties. This left him at liberty to return to his home in Lambertville, Monroe county, Michigan, reduced from his former weight of 205 pounds to the modest proportions of 146 pounds. Resuming again the duties of the medical profession, he continued his residence in Lambertville until June, 1874, when he removed with his family to Petersburgh, Monroe county, where he still resides. Two children were born to them: Canfield T., born February 26, 1859, died August 12, 1860; and Ella Elizabeth, born March 29, 1862, died May 29, 1879. DR. JOSEPH L. TUCKER, Joseph L. Tucker, son of James and Hope (Kelley) Tucker, was born in the village of Scituate, Rhode Island, December 3, 1807. His ancestors were of English nativity and were among the earlier settlers of New England. Joseph was the second son of a family of thirteen children. He attended the common schools from the time he was old enough until he was thirteen years of age. At this period his father died, making it necessary for him to assist in caring for his mother and dependent brothers and sisters. He immediately accepted the busy life found in a manufacturing establishment of his own town, in the meantime pursuing his studies by reading spare minutes and attending an evening session at the village academy. He was thus early in life made sensible of the fact that upon his own exertions depended his future success. For five years he performed his duties with entire satisfaction to his employer. At the expiration of this time he found that by his frugality and strict attention to the interests of his employer he was the happy possessor of sufficient means to enter upon a career befitting his natural taste, and immediately began the study of medicine in the office of Dr. Tyler in his native village. In 1829 he entered the medical college at Castleton, Vermont, where he remained one year. The following year he enrolled as a student at Yale College. He remained here one year, under the instructions of Professor Silliman and others equally eminent in their day and generation. It was here that he formed the lifelong acquaintance of a fellow classmate (Abram Sager) who later in life was called to occupy a chair as professor of zoology at the State University at Ann Arbor, Michigan. Returning to his native town he presented himself before a board of medical examiners, received a certificate, and for a length of time devoted himself to the duties of his profession. A copy of this certificate, yellow with age, the writer inserts for the sake of its quaintness: L. S. { tion, relative to the rules and regulations established by the said society. I do, therefore, hereby license him to practice as a physician and surgeon, all the rights, privileges and honors thereunto appertaining, and do recommend him to the notice of the faculty and the employment of the public. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and have caused the seal of the said society to be hereunto affixed at Warwick, R. I., the 3d day of February, in the year of our Lord 1834, and of American independence the 58th. But compensation for medical services was meager in those days, and the struggle for existence had now actually begun. With a clear Saxon eye he saw the "Star of Empire" hanging in the West, and in 1834 he came to Michigan Territory, traveling via stage line, Hudson River and Lake Erie. He arrived in Monroe in the month of September and at once proceeded to the town of La Salle, near the Erie line, and began anew the practice of medicine, enduring all the trials and vicissitudes incident to a new country. On the 22d day of February, 1835, he was married with Miss Elizabeth Jane Avery (daughter of Amos W. Avery), who with her father had removed from Western New York to La Salle, Michigan, in 1833. In the autumn of 1836 the subject of this sketch returned to Yale College, where he completed his studies. Upon his return home in the spring of 1837, he at once set about founding a home for himself and family. A portion of land was purchased which originally belonged to the farm known as the Cornell farm in the town of Erie, and here for a term of over thirty years he devoted himself assiduously to the duties of his chosen profession, and was permitted to enjoy some of the contrasts from a life in the wilderness to one of advanced improvement. In 1840 a medical society was organized in the city of Monroe which made it THE PRESIDENT OF THE R. I. CENTRAL incumbent upon practicing physicians to ap MEDICAL SOCIETY. To Whom these Presents May Come, Greeting: Know ye, that Joseph L. Tucker hath been approved according to his knowledge in surgery and the practice of medicine on examina pear for examination and become identified with the society. That the representatives of the medical profession were "not slothful in business" in those early times, the following true copy of the certificate will show : |